Heirloom (Noun);
Something of special value handed down from one generation to another.
About The Heirloom Network
, Heirloom Network was created to support women entrepreneurs and creatives at every stage of their journey. Whether you’re just starting with a side hustle, growing into a more established business, or already scaling a mature company, this network is designed to meet you where you are. Anchored by the legacy of Durham’s Black Wall Street, our mission is to create a supportive ecosystem where women have access to the knowledge, tools, and community needed to grow and scale.
With our holistic model, we honor the whole woman behind the business pairing practical guidance with personal wellness, advising, and intentional spaces for connection. Through monthly gatherings, curated resources, and a community that understands the cultural realities of women in business, we help our members build not only profitable companies but also sustainable lives.
The Heirloom Network is a continuation of a legacy of ownership, innovation, and resilience.
About The Heirloom Network
The Heirloom Network is the premium membership tier at Provident1898 designed exclusively for women founders, innovators, and business leaders.
We operate out of the historic, tower-standing headquarters of the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, the first Black-owned enterprise in America to reach a billion dollars in total insurance in force.
This specific workspace membership is inspired by the life and leadership of Viola G. Turner, who joined North Carolina Mutual in 1924.
When you join Provident1898 under the Heirloom Membership, you aren’t just joining a desk; you are anchoring your business within a proven blueprint for institutional growth.
Meet Viola.
Financial Vice President
Viola Turner (1900–1988)
In 1924, Viola Turner walked into Durham’s North Carolina Mutual headquarters. Four decades later, she was managing a multi-million-dollar portfolio as the first woman on their board of directors.
She proved that long term success isn’t built on individual grind but institutional strategy. The Heirloom Network exists to teach you that strategy.
As an heirloom, her legacy reminds us:
Our success is not individual. It is collective. It is generational. It is an inheritance. Waiting to be honored.
The Turner Method
Strategic Stewardship
We teach you how to analyze your business metrics like a fund manager. You will learn to optimize your cash flow, allocate resources for sustainable scale, and transition from a stressed operator to a strategic executive.
Visibility
We move you past the noise of social media algorithms and into high-leverage authority positioning. Learn how to package your intellectual property, command industry spaces, and put your business on the radar of investors and institutional buyers.
Institutional Literacy
We break down the invisible barriers to enterprise growth. Through this pillar, you gain the tactical playbooks needed to secure corporate contracts, position your company for institutional partnerships, and master procurement processes that change your revenue baseline.
Collective Infrastructure
We operationalize the peer network. This isn’t generic networking; it is a structured commerce ecosystem. Members of The Heirloom Network intentionally trade resources, form strategic alliances, share insider market intelligence, and actively patronize one another’s enterprises to build collective economic resilience.
Meet Viola.
Financial Vice President
Viola Turner went from Macon, Georgia to the boardroom of NC Mutual Life Insurance, becoming the company’s first woman financial vice president. A Morris Brown College graduate, left a legacy that transformed American finance. Turner retired in 1965 after reshaping what was possible for Black women in leadership & finance.
As an Heirloom, she reminds that:
Our success is not individual. It is collective. It is generational. It is an heirloom passed down, waiting to be honored.
Industry Leaders. Your Advisors.
Your
Membership
As an Heirloom Member, you gather in the literal rooms where Turner brokered enterprise deals to study her exact playbook and apply it directly to your current business model.
Membership Includes
Limited scholarships available at time of purchase.- 24/7 access to Historic Provident1898
- The Heirloom Business Assessment
- 1-on-1 Sessions with Network Advisors
- Access to Monthly Strategic Gatherings
Upcoming Events
Right Place, Right Time.
The moments that matter are waiting for you. Join us at our upcoming events and make lasting connections.
The Legacy of Black Wall Street: Viola Turner
What happens when women enter boardrooms? They help to build billion dollar businesses.
Join The Provident1898 Heirloom Network and Rho Chapter, Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. for an afternoon exploring this truth through the life and legacy of Viola Turner. As NC Mutual’s first female board member, Turner helped build their investment portfolio and transformed what leadership looked like at the largest Black insurance firm in America.
This special event honors Turner’s brilliance while celebrating the 90th Anniversary of Rho Chapter, Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc., which she helped charter right here in Durham. Together, we’ll explore how Turner and other remarkable women from M&F Bank, Mutual Community Savings, NCCU, and Lincoln Hospital propelled Black Wall Street forward through ingenuity and intentional purpose and how their legacy continues to inspire today’s business leaders.
Our Supporters
